PLUS: BOXING

PLUS: BOXING; Roy Jones to Make Heavyweight Bid

By Lena Williams

Published: November 6, 2002

Roy Jones Jr. will attempt to become only the second light heavyweight champion to win a heavyweight title when he meets the World Boxing Association champion, John Ruiz, on March 1 in Las Vegas. And 40-year-old Evander Holyfield will attempt to become a champion for a fifth time when he fights Chris Byrd for the I.B.F. title Dec. 14 in Atlantic City.

The bouts will be part of a heavyweight championship series that will be announced at a news conference tomorrow in New York, according to the promoter Don King.

Jones has said he plans to weigh in the 190's against Ruiz, who will outweigh him by 30 to 40 pounds. Holyfield and Byrd will fight for the International Boxing Federation title vacated by Lennox Lewis, who has been hired as an announcer for the foreign TV broadcasts of the fight series.

Lewis holds only the World Boxing Council version of the title, though he is generally recognized as the universal heavyweight champion. He gave up the I.B.F. belt rather than defend it against Byrd.

EIGHT TO COMPETE IN EVENT: The last man standing at the end of a one-night heavyweight boxing tournament at Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City on Nov. 30 will win $100,000 in cash.

The single-elimination event will consist of eight contenders, including Tim Witherspoon, a former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association champion. Also competing for the grand prize and bragging rights will be Gerald Nobles, Anthony Thompson, Jeremy Williams, Ray Austin, Maurice Harris, Derrick Jefferson and the Olympic bronze medalist, Paolo Vidoz of Italy.

The event's promoter, Cedric Kushner, said yesterday in a news conference at Trump Tower that the tournament would be shown live on pay-per-view. Each bout will consist of three rounds.

The draw will be announced two weeks before the event. Witherspoon (51-11-1, 32 knockouts) looms as a favorite, even though his age, 45, and a September loss by knockout to Lou Savarese make him vulnerable to younger power punchers like Nobles, 31. ''My age gives me the edge,'' Witherspoon said. ''I'm not looking to go at a fast pace. I plan to use my head.''

Thompson (17-1, 9 knockouts) agreed. ''The smartest will survive,'' he said, ''because you can be young, strong and fit and still lose.'' Lena Williams